To ensure health, security of people, militants will be buried at safer, isolated places

Families who identify and claim the bodies of the slain militants will be allowed at the time of last rites.

In view of combating the spread of Covid-19, the govt of India and the Govt of the UT of J&K have issued several directions for enforcement of strict lockdown for the safety of the general public.

Several authorities specially Heath have taken note of the issue seriously as there were genuine apprehension of mass transmissions of coronavirus during such gatherings.

A senior Police officer told that huge gatherings, instigated by supporters of killed militants, have been observed during funeral/ burial of killed militants at Arwani, DH Pora and Sopore during the lockdown period.

Several authorities specially Heath have taken note of the issue seriously as there were genuine apprehension of mass transmissions of coronavirus during such gatherings. It has also been learnt that a few militants have been affected by the virus.

The officer added that, in order to ensure health security of the people at large, the administration has decided to conduct burial of militants at a safer and isolated places. The administration have been following a proper procedure for such burials such as conducting of Post Mortem and lifting DNA samples of killed militants prior to their burial in accordance with the religious customs.

Families who identify and claim the bodies of the slain militants are being provided passes by concerned DCs in order to facilitate their presence at the last rites in the presence of magistrates.

The procedure was followed at Ganderbal where the respective families participated in the last rites of three killed militants.

Unidentified militants are also being buried in accordance with the religious customs in the presence of magistrates.

Allowing funerals at the native places of killed militants would lead to the breakdown of the strict protocols of lockdown thereby endangering the health and well-being of the community at large. This was amply witnessed during the burials of militants at Sopore, Arwani and DH Pora. Using force to disperse such gatherings on such occasions would only lead to significantly worse outcomes. Therefore, to avoid such situations, the measures being taken are purely in the interest of the people official sources said.